A California city could be the first U.S. city to use drones to deliver blood from one medical facility to another, using the same technology already being used in Switzerland.The company behind it is Matternet, in Menlo Park. It's video shows how blood and medical samples can be put into a box, and with the push of a button can be flown autonomously by the drone. Stanford Blood Center in Palo Alto now wants to do the same.Doctors say it can take 30 minutes to an hour to currently transport blood, but it would take just 10 minutes with the use of a drone.The delivery would be dropped at a receiving station located in a hospital parking lot or area convenient for medical staff to access."With a system like this, you're able to save tremendous amount of time and generally reduce waste throughout the hospital system," Matternet CEO Andreas Rappopoulous said.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced it will select a small number of pilot projects that would help the integration of drones. Palo Alto city manager James Keene said they've submitted their application and are excited the pilot program could potentially happen."We saw it as a really opportune moment for us to be potentially on the front end of developing policies that could affect cities in the future," Keene said.Doctors said if approved, the drones would be used to fly blood in emergencies, where time is critical and they don't have enough staff to transport supplies quickly.

PALO ALTO, Calif. —

A California city could be the first U.S. city to use drones to deliver blood from one medical facility to another, using the same technology already being used in Switzerland.

The company behind it is Matternet, in Menlo Park. It's video shows how blood and medical samples can be put into a box, and with the push of a button can be flown autonomously by the drone. Stanford Blood Center in Palo Alto now wants to do the same.

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Doctors say it can take 30 minutes to an hour to currently transport blood, but it would take just 10 minutes with the use of a drone.

The delivery would be dropped at a receiving station located in a hospital parking lot or area convenient for medical staff to access.

"With a system like this, you're able to save tremendous amount of time and generally reduce waste throughout the hospital system," Matternet CEO Andreas Rappopoulous said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced it will select a small number of pilot projects that would help the integration of drones. Palo Alto city manager James Keene said they've submitted their application and are excited the pilot program could potentially happen.

"We saw it as a really opportune moment for us to be potentially on the front end of developing policies that could affect cities in the future," Keene said.

Doctors said if approved, the drones would be used to fly blood in emergencies, where time is critical and they don't have enough staff to transport supplies quickly.